190 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
Twenty-two species accounted for 74,564,000 pounds, or 94 percent 
of all salt-water fish received. Over 2,000,000 pounds of each of the 
11 leading varieties were received, forming 79 percent of the total. 
In order of their importance they were cod, flounders (blackbacks or 
winter flounders), mackerel, haddock, butterfish, scup (porgy), yel- 
lowtails (dabs), whiting, halibut, shad, and croaker. Receipts of six 
species ranged from one to two million pounds, or 10 percent of the 
total. They were gray sea trout (weakfish), fluke (summer flounder), 
bluefish, gray sole, sea bass, and salmon (Western). The five species 
received in amounts from one-half to one million pounds were sea 
herring (including sardines), hake, striped bass, pollock, and tilefish. 
Groundfish (cod, haddock, hake, and pollock) accounted for 26 per- 
cent of the total receipts during the 6-month period. Flatfishes from 
the East coast, consisting of blackbacks, flounders, fluke (summer 
flounder), gray sole and yellowtails, formed 21 percent; and Western 
halibut and salmon, a little over 5 percent. Varieties caught in large 
quantities in the Middle Atlantic States, such as butterfish, mackerel, 
scup (porgy), gray sea trout, sardines, and whiting, made up 10 per- 
cent. Of the remaining species, those fish taken in large amounts in 
other areas as well as in the Middle Atlantic (bluefish, croaker, sea 
bass, shad, and striped bass) represent 31 percent of the receipts. 
The three leading varieties of shellfish received during these 6 
months were shrimp, 5,343,000 pounds; lobsters, 2,150,000 pounds; 
and squid, 1,671,000 pounds. , 
Since detailed receipts for the fresh-water market were not collected, 
exact quantities cannot be given. However, from daily experience 
in the market it can be stated that whitefish and yellow pike were the 
leading species among the bigher-priced fish, while carp was important 
in the lower-priced group. 
The distribution of fresh and frozen fish and shellfish in the New 
York area was effected largely through 92 wholesale dealers, 20 hotel 
and restaurant supply firms, and 7 brokers. Of the wholesale dealers, 
24 handled fresh-water fish exclusively, 3 sold fresh-water and salt- 
water fish, while the remainder were mainly either salt-water fish or 
shellfish firms. There were 12 fillet-cutting firms in addition to sev- 
eral of the hotel-supply firms that produced their own fillets. 
The delivery of fish and shellfish to local or suburban purchasers 
generally is made by trucks owned by the buyers. Trucking agencies 
and rail express carry the balance. 
The retail outlets for fish in New York City have been estimated 
by the City Bureau of Markets to include 1,500 independent stores 
that handle fish exclusively, 1,800 meat stores selling fish part of the 
time, and 700 general markets and chain stores which handle fish. 
The wholesale dealers handling fresh and frozen fishery products in 
New York are centered in a marketing area comprising about four 
square blocks along the East River near the foot of Fulton Street and 
just south of the Manhattan end of the Brooklyn Bridge. Known as 
Fulton Market, the wholesale fish trade has been in this location over 
a century. Dealers handling salt-water fish and shellfish occupy the 
oreater part of the area, the fresh-water fish dealers practically being 
limited to one street known as Peck Slip. As there are no direct rail 
or express connections all shipments must be trucked between the 
market and the terminals. Many of the latter are situated at a con- 
siderable distance across the city. Two freezers adjoin the market 
